PARIS: When Wendie Renard scored in front of 14,000 fans in the women’s Champions League final 14 years ago, she helped Lyon win the trophy for the first time.
Seven more titles and much bigger crowds have followed since for Renard and Lyon, along with a truck-load of domestic trophies.
The 34-year-old Frenchwoman has scored more than 150 goals for the club in almost 500 appearances, a remarkable ratio for a central defender.
Lyon teammate Ada Hegerberg — the first Ballon d’Or winner — is in her 11th season at the club and has won the competition six times. She scored a hat trick in the 4-1 rout of Barcelona in the 2019 final.
They are among the most iconic names in women’s soccer and Lyon might need big performances from both to win a record-extending ninth European crown.
Lyon’s last victory came three years ago and since then Barcelona have taken over as the leading team in the sport. The Catalan giant are going for a third straight title and fourth overall.
Barcelona are led by the flair and drive of two-time Ballon d’Or winners Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí. They have shared the last four awards, making it four straight for the club, and both scored in last year’s final against Lyon in front of a record crowd of 51,000.
Lyon and Barcelona have met in the final in three of the past six seasons and could clash again — provided they get past Arsenal and Chelsea in the semifinals.
Lyon travel to Arsenal for a lunchtime first leg on Saturday and Barcelona host Chelsea on Sunday evening.
When Lyon won the Champions League for the first time, they beat Arsenal in the semifinals.
The second legs are held the following Sunday, with the final taking place on May 24 at Lisbon’s 50,000-capacity Estádio José Alvalade.
London calling?
North Londoner Arsenal won the tournament in 2007 when it was called the Super Cup, and are the only English team to do so. West Londoner Chelsea have reached the final once, in 2021, but were routed 4-0 as Barca won their first title.
The contest was so one-sided that Barcelona scored after 32 seconds and were 4-0 up at the break.
If Arsenal and Chelsea get through it would be only the third same-nation final in the competition.
Road to the semis
Chelsea overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to knock out Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate, thanks to goals from Frenchwoman Sandy Baltimore, Swede Nathalie Björn and Colombian Mayra Ramírez.
In the first leg, City had ended Chelsea’s long unbeaten run under coach Sonia Bompastor.
The 44-year-old Frenchwoman won the competition twice as a player with Lyon and once as a coach — when Lyon beat Barcelona 3-1 in 2022 in front of 32,000 fans.
It was business as usual for Barcelona, which routed 2023 runner-up Wolfsburg 6-1 in the second leg for a 10-2 aggregate victory.
Winger Salma Paralluelo and forward Clàudia Pina each scored twice as Barcelona took their goal tally to 36 in eight games, while María León and Putellas showed their passing skills.
Lyon outclassed Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate with Hegerberg among the scorers. In-form England striker Alessia Russo netted twice as Arsenal advanced with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid after losing 2-0 in Spain.
Lyon needs Renard and Hegerberg to shine against Arsenal in women’s CL semis, Barca faces Chelsea
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Lyon needs Renard and Hegerberg to shine against Arsenal in women’s CL semis, Barca faces Chelsea
- Lyon’s last victory came three years ago and since then Barcelona have taken over as the leading team in the sport
- Lyon travel to Arsenal for a lunchtime first leg on Saturday and Barcelona host Chelsea on Sunday evening
Alexxanderr wins gold as Global Champions Arabians Tour concludes fifth stage in Cannes
- Focus now on Netherlands as competitors eye World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme in Doha
CANNES: The 2025 Cannes edition of the Global Champions Arabians Tour came to a close on Sunday with Alexxanderr, owned by Al-Mirqab Farm, taking home the prestigious Senior Stallion Gold Championship title.
Held at the Stade de Hesperides, the fifth stage of the tour and first European stop offered a blend of world-class Arabian horse competition, cultural experiences, and Riviera glamour.
A high-profile crowd of horse owners, celebrities, influencers, partners, and members of the public attended the event over three days.
Bader Al-Darwish, the CEO of the Global Champions Arabians Tour, said: “Cannes has once again proven to be a spectacular stage for our tour.
“This event reflects everything we stand for — excellence, integrity, and the celebration of Arabian horse heritage.
“Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable performances. We are honored to bring this experience to such a stunning destination and grateful for the support of our partners who made it possible.”
With $1.63 million in prize money awarded across all classes, the Cannes stage once again cemented its position as a highlight of the GCAT calendar. The results will contribute to the overall tour rankings, bringing competitors closer to the prestigious Leading Male, Leading Female, and Top Handler titles.
The competitors were challenging for a chance to qualify for the World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme, which is set to take place in December in Doha.
Meanwhile, the tour continues to its sixth destination in the Europe and Middle East Series at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands from July 18-20.
Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh
GALLE: Sri Lanka are set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s.
The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three one-day internationals and three T20s.
Hosts Sri Lanka begin the contest as firm favorites, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous WTC cycle.
Sri Lanka were firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly.
Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw them tumble down the rankings.
“We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday.
“We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”
Sri Lanka’s squad includes six uncapped players, with at least one debut cap set to be handed out.
Spin remains Sri Lanka’s strength, with Prabath Jayasuriya the key and selectors also calling up off-spinner Akila Dananjaya.
Bangladesh enter the series without stalwarts Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is realistic about the challenge.
“Tamim and Shakib — those are massive boots to fill,” he said. “But this is a chance for the young guys to put their hands up.”
Shanto, who is playing in Galle for the first time, said the team have “prepped well and we’re ready for the challenge.”
The Test will also be the swansong of Sri Lanka’s veteran Angelo Mathews, who is retiring after 118 Tests.
The former skipper also played his first Test on the famous pitch perched beneath the fortress in Galle in 2009.
“It’s been a dream run,” said 38-year-old Mathews.
“The wins in England in 2014 and whitewashing the Aussies in 2016 stand out. I’ve seen so many youngsters come through the ranks,” he said.
“I truly believe Sri Lanka’s future is in good hands.”
Sri Lanka have won 20 of the 26 Tests they have played against Bangladesh, who have only managed a solitary win along with five draws.
The second Test will begin in Colombo on June 25.
German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
- Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened
BONN: Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened.
A statement Monday from Germany’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club’s membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run.
The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year’s champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem “no longer possible.”
It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the club’s professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn’t name any deadline.
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers’ teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen, and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1.
The regulator also said the German men’s soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees “offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights.”
That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren’t directly named by the regulator in Tuesday’s statement.
The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs. It grants voting rights to far fewer people than most German clubs. Local media reported that only 23 members had the right to vote at Leipzig as of last year.
Saudi Arabia edges Haiti 1-0 in Gold Cup on penalty kick
Saleh Al-Shehri’s penalty kick in the 21st minute held up as the winner as Saudi Arabia shut out Haiti 1-0 in CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A play on Sunday night in San Diego.
Al-Shehri drew a foul in the penalty area on Frantzdy Pierrot in the 18th minute, then converted a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner to lift Saudi Arabia (1-0-0, 3 points) in the opener for both teams.
Haiti had an opportunity to pull even in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, but Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi (four saves) denied Dany Jean in the center of the goal on a right-footed shot from outside the box.
Haiti (0-1-0, 0 points) posted a decisive edge in corner kicks (11-1), but Saudi Arabia finished with more shots on goal (5-4) and shot attempts (13-7).
Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide finished with three saves.
A penalty shattered Palestinian World Cup dreams for 2026. The squad has inspired hope
- The Palestinian team needed to win its last three Group B games in Asian qualifying to advance to another continental playoff round
AMMAN: An engrossing qualifying journey of 16 games and the obstacles of a war came crashing down in an instant for Oday Dabbagh and his Palestinian team.
Their legacy will long continue.
Players left the field in tears in the immediate aftermath at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan, last Thursday after their quest for a first appearance at a World Cup evaporated on a contentious penalty awarded deep in extra time. Fans looked on, stunned.
“It’s very hard,” Dabbagh, the team’s star striker, told The Associated Press. “It was massive for us to get to the next stage — we prepared well, we had a positive atmosphere, and we had the fans with us. We gave everything, but it was gone in a moment.”
Needing to win its last three Group B games to reach the playoffs for the last two of Asia’s automatic spots at the World Cup, the No. 101-ranked team in the world beat Iraq in Basra in March, Kuwait in Kuwait City on June 5. Five days later, it was leading 1-0 against Oman in Jordan in the 97th minute.
The Palestinians had never been in a better position in qualifying for a World Cup. Then Oman was awarded, and scored, a penalty to make it 1-1 in the last real act of the game.
Not long after the dejected players had picked themselves up, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) made an official complaint to soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, about the penalty. It didn’t change the fact, however, that the long road trip was over.
“We tried to put smiles on the faces of Palestinians amid their great pain,” head coach Ihab Abujazar said. “The heroic players are our pride and glory, a symbol of all that is beautiful in the Palestinian nation.”
Playing Away
It may have been different if the Palestinian team, admitted into FIFA in 1998, was able to play home games in front of its fans in Gaza or the West Bank in the third round of qualifying. The Israel-Hamas war meant that couldn’t happen. And so the many of the team’s home games have been taking place in the nearby Jordanian capital of Amman, home to a large community of Palestinians.
“It is easier to play in your home,” Dabbagh, who helped Aberdeen win the Scottish Cup last month, said. “But the circumstances there are so difficult so we choose to play in Amman as it is close to Palestine, the people are the same, and we have a lot of fans there.”
There’s been no domestic soccer in the Palestinian territories since the war started in 2023. Hundreds of athletes are among the more than 55,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict and sports facilities have been destroyed.
“Everything that goes on makes us all sad,” Dabbagh said. “As players, we try to focus on football during the games, but we use what is happening as motivation to bring happiness to the people of Palestine.”
All but two of the roster of 27 national squad players are contracted to foreign clubs either in the region or in Europe, a change from the start of the conflict when a number of players weren’t able to leave the West Bank or Gaza to report for international duty.
Over the past year or so, the Palestinian squad has assembled for training camps in Algeria, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to prepare for World Cup qualifying.
The top two teams in each of three Asian groups in the third round earned direct spots for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The third- and fourth-place teams in each group advanced to a playoff for two more places. A win would have secured fourth spot in the group for the Palestinians. The last-minute draw meant they finished a point behind Oman in fifth.
What’s next?
Now their focus has to shift to the 2027 Asian Cup, which will take place in Saudi Arabia. The Palestinian team has already qualified for the tournament.
Dabbagh is ready to show that the team is set to remain a force in Asian soccer and continue to be ambassodors for millions of people.
“We will keep using football as a message to show the world that there are other things in Palestine” he said. “We will keep going. The dream is not over, it is just delayed.”
